As people with HIV live longer, how can they also age well? University of Hawaiʻi at 惭ā苍辞补 researcher Chase Bryer was selected for a national program advancing aging research exploring that question, with a focus on improving care for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander kūpuna aging with HIV.
Bryer, a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, is an assistant professor and gerontologist at the in the . He will join the third cohort of the .
“HIV is no longer a death sentence, and that means we must begin asking different questions about not just how people with HIV can live longer, but how they can thrive later in life,” said Bryer. “Through the CHANGE program, I hope to center the lived experiences and cultural knowledge of kūpuna to help reimagine what HIV and aging care can look like in Hawaiʻi.”
The 18-month national program, supported by the National Institute on Aging, provides mentorship and specialized training in Native aging research. Bryer will receive $50,000 in pilot funding to support community-engaged research on HIV and aging.
Findings could help inform healthcare approaches that support the health and well-being of kūpuna and those aging with HIV.
Centering kūpuna experiences
In partnership with the Hawaiʻi Health & Harm Reduction Center and Lei Pua ?Ala Queer Histories of Hawaiʻi, Bryer will explore pathways to aging well with HIV and culturally grounded approaches to care.
The research team includes Thompson School co-investigators Miquela Ibrao and David Stupplebeen. Together with community partners, they aim to better understand the experiences, needs and priorities of kūpuna aging with HIV.
“What drew me to Hawaiʻi was the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with communities and learn from the knowledge and experiences of kūpuna,” Bryer said. “I look forward to deepening those relationships and conducting research that is responsive to community priorities, with the hope of contributing to more culturally grounded approaches to HIV and aging care here in Hawaiʻi.”